1. Technical Field
The invention relates to controlling multimedia program material in a computer environment. More particularly, the invention relates to recording and storing user bookmarks for stored program material in a computer environment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Multimedia devices such as VCRs, DVD players, MP3 players, cassette players, CD players, video tape editors, and the new class of Personal Video Recorders (PVR) are extremely popular with consumers. Almost every household in the United States has at least one of these devices.
Multimedia devices are typically designed as linear devices. This means that the program material is perceived as being one long piece, even though several different programs, songs, etc. exist on the program media. For example, a cassette or VCR tape can have multiple songs or programs on a single media.
Digital systems such as CDs, DVDs, and MP3 players have the added ability to jump to an index of a song or program within its media.
The typical multimedia device allows the user to stop at a point within the media and to return to that particular point upon startup. The drawback to these devices is that the user does not have the ability to watch or listen to several songs or programs within the media and place bookmarks at the points where he has stopped the playback. They only provide the ability to return to a single point in the media.
Simple systems such as VCRs are mechanical and simply stop at a certain point in the tape when the user turns the device off. The user powers the machine back on and continues playing the tape.
It would be advantageous to provide a multimedia program bookmarking system that allows a user to save and retrieve bookmarks for several audio and/or video programs on a single device. It would further be advantageous to provide a system that allows multiple users to save and retrieve their own personalized bookmarks on the same device.